Quad

Head-to-head

Norfolk State
Jackson State

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Norfolk State is more diverse (index 0.35 vs. 0.11)

    Diversity index
  2. 2

    Norfolk State's grants cover 36% of its full price on average, vs. 22% at Jackson State

    Aid generosity
  3. 3

    Norfolk State costs about $6.3K less per year on average than Jackson State ($19,950 vs. $26,256, all students)

    Average cost, all students
  4. 4

    Jackson State has 7 pts more Pell recipients than Norfolk State (72% vs. 65%)

    Pell Grant recipients
  5. 5

    Norfolk State's yield is 7 pts higher than Jackson State's

    Yield rate
  6. 6

    Norfolk State grads earn $5.6K more ten years out than Jackson State's ($44,666 vs. $39,060)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Who's hardest to get into

Norfolk State admits 88%, Jackson State 93%; Norfolk State's yield is higher, at 13%.

Acceptance rate
Norfolk State88%
Jackson State93%
Quad's selectivity
  • Norfolk StateOpen
  • Jackson StateOpen
SAT middle 50%Axis 700–1600
Norfolk State
823–1030
Jackson State
820–1070
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • Norfolk StateGPA and school record required
  • Jackson StateGPA, school record, and prep program required

Who's on each campus

Norfolk State is a bit larger than Jackson State (5,392 vs. 4,600 undergrads); Jackson State has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
Norfolk State5.4K
Jackson State4.6K
Pell Grant share
Norfolk State65%
Jackson State72%

Majors and faculty

Business/Commerce leads at Norfolk State, and Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies at Jackson State; Jackson State has 14 students per faculty member to Norfolk State's 15.

Students per faculty member
Norfolk State15 to 1
Jackson State14 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • Norfolk StateBusiness/Commerce, General14%
  • Jackson StateMulti-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other10%

What each costs

Norfolk State costs about $6.3K less a year than Jackson State on average, and its grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
Norfolk State$20K
Jackson State$26.3K
Aid generosity
Norfolk State36%
Jackson State22%

What each pays off

Norfolk State's former students earn more, a median $44.7K ten years after enrolling; six-year graduation runs from 43% at Norfolk State to 39% at Jackson State.

Median earnings, 10 years
Norfolk State$44.7K
Jackson State$39.1K
Graduation rate
Norfolk State43%
Jackson State39%

How each has changed

Applications grew at both; both got less selective.

Applications, 10-year change
  • Norfolk StateGrowing+299%
  • Jackson StateGrowing+177%
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why